Pig ball receiver



' April 1961 R. s. WILLIS 2,977,616

PIG BALL RECEIVER Filed Aug. 28. 1959 eaazer .5. W/L 4 IN V EN TOR.

F10. Maize I will be: efinediin the appended claims.

pendi g P t l n p esia ra ehou n e erally-designated -1 hav "ram msrna lye hamh r At.zqne; .siqeo e hol sr housing.

United? States. 1C5

- ball displacing stem 13. The stem 13 has a smooth j 1 i T Q o cylindrical section 13a and an outer extremity 13b formed p PIG A ECEIVER l V for the receptionof a tool as by the provision of a R b lfl s w 43410 Long'Beach, 556f hexagonal orsquaredend thereon. The stem 13 is also 5 provided with -a' threaded section 13c which is threadedly Eq' l e 8 en gag ed'with the bushing 14 disposed in a counterbore Q v I 215 in jthesfup'port' l1, and secured in place as by a screw :7.-

' i f I: 16 which engages both the bushing 14 and the support The7pres?nt mvtimwnrelates toplgfban recelYerlor a 11'soias to retain thebushing 14 in the counterbore 15. W t t winch Ft i dr .recover At its ohte'fextremity the support 11 is bored and ballsifrom flow flfroughmwhlch -F l bails tapped as at 17- f'or' the reception of a centering and have been forced by fluid flowing through the 111165" to dis;- packing nutgls having n elongated body Sealed as place parafiin or; other solid-material,deposits from the oflngsi 20 to the stem 13 and as by means of an fl 'f l .G-ring ZIto the support 11. The support 11'is also x Thlsapplicatlon 1s acompanlonto my co-pen sealed in relation to the neck 8 as by an (Him; 22 enplicationofiled concurrently herewith, Serial No. 836,712, "1 Vi g between the latter.

jrlatingi'to F pig ban injectobandivalve mechanism for Oil the inner end of the valve stern 13 is a rotatably placlngta plg ball in aflow hne;v

mounted valve head 23 which is secured in place on the The present lnventlon.1s morenpartlcularly directed to v. v valve stem 13 between a pair of split bushings 24, 24 Pl recovewdevme whlchiihas (fblectlvesvf asbymeans'bf airetainer collar 25 and a split retainer E eg qonstructwn and f pc t n Qnd'f'mam' ifig'zflseating in at a peripheral groove in the stem 13.

n 03.. m1 "r; Inaccordance with the foregoing it is-afurther ohject to; provide; ahousing havinga valve chamber therethrough which a valve member adaptedito 25 which are held assembled between the bushings 24, the but which when in itsretracted position will permitithe Na Epart 23abeing formed i h a seat f an irecepfim} inltle piglbalktravelljflg annular resilient seating element 230. An O-ring or along w1t h flud$'1eadmg mm chambcrother appropriate seal 23d seals the head 23 against posediiwlthlmme valve chamberfls a Screen)? grid leakage betweei'l the latter and the valve stem 13. adapted to permit the assag th c h of midi-While slWithin the housing or body 1 at the base of the-valve blocking the passage therethroughpf. the pig b l UP! ,chamber'2 is a seat 27 with which the'seating member slosureref'therii er a s displacednfromlhe 230 is engageable. Extending from the body or'hous- 'f l- F 9 receifer-fhousingthmughian' ing l'lin alignment with the support'll is a neck '28. mgln l he y lve ho ng w l hl l w e y the-Valve, 'Theaneek 28 is threaded as at for the rece tion of a s; enablrngtr m valeof the re iver: h ng andx 're- 35 threaded; nd of a pig ball receiver housing 30 of hollow composed of semi-circular half-sections. The head'23 "cove t y of thepig ballwithoutoccasioning'leakage of fluid generally' tubular construction. The housing so has a from the f housmgt o f llclosure Iplug31 'threaded into its outer end and sealed Other ob ects' and advantag s. of, h i fi m be againstthe housing as by means of aniO-ring seal 32. .ihemlnaftel"described Win hgcomeiapparenfito mo in :Disposed. in the closure plug 31 is a bleeder assembly skilled in the art-, and the novelfeatures ofl'the invention coinprisin'gla plug Silt-threaded intota bore 34 leading through .the'closure plug 31'. The plug 31 is also providedhwith a port 35 communicating with a threaded :ibore'36in whichisdisposed aebleed screw 37 which is q r, e llhly rr-q -fiw hth v ll id n s m- -ported; eas1at as so' that w en the bleed screw 37 is :tlo f ece me m ba ll the ve mb i 45 threaded fully intonthe bore 36, as shown .in-Fi 1, the 1g???- Y- t0 -irrlrwlb PW' port .3 8rthr ough the bleed screw'37'will be closed upon F lspltaceid own; hesvalvencham ml!) xengagementofthe tapered inner end of the bleed screw 'l i' f 5 :with the tapered-seating surfaceformed at the base of the fi PQ P F Pn bore-36L When'the bleed screw is backed oil? of this 9 Elg 3 v tapered surface justtmentioned above, the port 38 through i -.the:bleed;s crewwil1 be opened.

. .Thedevice1zthus fardes'cribed'is adapted to recover ,from the flow line 4 a'pig ball which is beingcarr-ied by V -fluidthrough .the line; 4 towards the line 4a. Accordr fi I 1 5 5 -ingly,rdisposed within the valve chamber and bridging :RQZQ T IlEJ I 19 Fi Js-thQL SZQV T 1 t vfifltlonillf'l the 'pp'ening leading to the flowrline iwis an arcuate grid -e40'(see Fig. 4;;for' the details of the grid). The grid 40 is seatedfin-arcuate seats 41a formed by opposed cirn g ini te nale reads? nee 13 6 site sides of; the valve chamber 2.- ItdesiredQthe grid :l ded in pace in the'seats 41g.

particularly to' Fig. 4, it will 'grid hasjapluralifypf flow passages 48a therethrough' e pfreteriably composedeof, a series of,l ongituk 7 WhiWe line sectio 4 providedil with leg ons-t m of {perforations or grid 1 workto enable the passage of fiuidL. f i

To facilitate assembly, the bushings 24, 24 are preferably 7 is composed of a pair of annular members 23a and 23b cumferential shoulders opposed toone another at oppon be noted that gdln extehdje'd slots jbut obviously, the grid may be thefuse o f theinventionythe valve head 23is lposi t tough thejgrid' p r estiotedthaty the-openings 40n through the grid 4tl'arefprefefrably of such proportions as to approximate or equalthe'crosssectional flow area through inlet conduit 4, so as to offer no substantial resistance to flow through the grid. In addition, the valve chamber 2 affords a by-pass flow path P around the grid 40, as shown in Fig. 3, so 'that even when a pig ball 41 is-disposed'soas'to; partially-obstruct the openings 40a, no significant reduction in flow area results. The principal purpose of the pig. ball designated 41 is to remove deposits from the walls of the .flow line 4 so as to enable it to'be carried along in the fluid flow, and the large flow area through and around the grid 40 precludes the device frombecoming clogged .with the deposits which are entrained in the :flowing fluid.

With the valve disposed'as shown inFig. l, a pig ball 41 entering the valve chamber 42, will be arrested by the grid 40, whereupon rotation of the stem 13 .in a clockwise direction will cause the valve head 23 to en- :gage the pig ball and force it. into the :receiver housing 30, as the head moves toward the seat 27. .Thus,:the pig ball is first moved into the receiver and-the vaiveis then closed, preventing .the how .ofifluid from the --valve chamber through the valve;seatguponidisplacement-of the receiver housing 30. g

The receiver housing 30 with. the pig ball.41 therein is preferably vented through'the bleed screw '37 following which the receiver housing 30smay be removedffrom the .main housing 1 and the pig ball'rem'oved.

From the foregoing descriptionv it will be 'observed .that the various objectives stated at thelcommencement hereof have been attained along-with other objectives,and while specific structural details of the invention have .been shown and described, it should be understood-that changes and alterations maybe resorted to without deiparting from the spirit of the invention as define'd;in the :appended claims.

I claim:

l. A pig ball recoveryzdevice comprising: a body hav- :ing a valve chamber therein; inletand outlet meanslfor said body; a valve support atone side of said valve cham- -'ber; a valve seat at the side of said valve chambenioppo- .site'said support; a valve membercarried bysaid support and shiftable from. one side of. said valve chamber to the other to selectively open and close said valve seat; said body having an openingin line with saidse'at; said seat and said opening providing for thepassage of a pig .ball .therethrough when said seat isopen; a grid disposed across said outlet means; and pig ball receiver means joined to said bodyin line with said seat and said opening for receiving a pig ball passed throughsaid opening.

2. A pig ball recovery device comprisingza body'having a valve chamber therein; inlet and outlet means for said body; a valve support at oneside of said valve chamber; a valve seat at the side of said valve-chamber iopposite said support; a valve member carried -bysaid support and shiftable from one side of said valve chambet to the other to selectively open and close said valve seat; a grid disposed across said outlet means out of the path of movement of said valve member; said gr id having openings therethrough having cumulative flow areaapproximately equal to that of the inlet means; and pig ball receiver means carried by said body opposite s'aid --seat and said valve member for receiving'a pig ball -through said seat when said seat is open.*-

3. A pig ball recovery device comprising: a body hav-i ing a valve chamber therein; inlet and outlet-means for said body; a valve supportat one side ofisaid' valve 'chamher; a valve seat at the other side of said valvechamber;

a valve member carried by said; support and shiftable Ifrom one side of said valve chamber to th'e. otherto selectively open and close said valve seat;fla' grid dis- ;posed across said outlet means; pig ball receiver means ;carried by said body'at the opposite:side ,of said/valve rseat from said valve member; and means .supporting'said, ;.grid. in] spaced 'relation'to the wallsilofdtheivalve ;cha mber -aermm 'to'provide' a fiow'pa'th around the gridwhen a pig ball is engaged with said grid. I

4. A pig ball recovery device comprising: a body having a valve chamber therein; inlet and outlet means for said body; a valve support at one side of said valve chamber; a valve seat'at the other side of said valve chamber; a valve'member carried by said support and shiftable from one side of said .valve chamber to the other to selectively open and close said valve seat; a grid disposed across said outlet means; pig ball receiver means carried by said'body .at'the opposite side of said valve seat from said valve member; said pig ball receiver means including a housing; and means removably connecting said housing to said body. i 15 Y 5. A pigball recovery device comprisingrzi body having a valve chamber therein; inlet and outlet means for said body; a valvesupport atone side of said valve chamber; a valve seat at the other side of said valve 'chamber;-a valve member carried by'said support and shiftablefrom oneside of said valve chamber to the "other to selectivelyopen and. close said valve seat; a grid disposed across said outlet means; pig ball receiver means carried by said body at the opposite side of said valve seat from-said valve member; said pig ball receiver means including'a housing;'means removably connecting said housing to said body; and means for venting said receiver housing.

6. A pig ball'recovery device comprising: a body having avalve chamber therein; inlet and outlet means for said body; a valve support at one side of said valve chamber; a valve seat atthe other side of said valve chamber; and a valve member carried by said support and shiftable from one side of said valve chamber to the other to selectively open and close said valvelseat; a grid disposed across said outlet means; pig ball receiver means carried by said body at the opposite side of said valve 'seat from said valve member; said grid comprising a perforate plate'disposed in said valve chamber out of the path of movement of said valvernember; said valve member, seat and said receiver being in alignment axially of said body.

7. A pig ball recovery device comprising: a body having a valve chamber therein; inlet and outlet means for said body; a valve'support at one side of said valve chamber; a valve seat at the other side of said valve chamber; and a valve member carried by'said support and shiftable from-one side'of said valve chamber to the other *to selectively open and close said valve seat; a grid disposed across said outlet means; pig ball receiver means carried by'said body at the oppositeside of said valve seat from said valve member; said grid comprising a perforate plate disposed in said valve chamber; said body having internal shoulders engaged by said plate for positioning the latter across the outlet means.

' '8.. A pig ball recovery device comprising; a body having a chamber therein; inlet and outlet'means communicating with-said chamber; 'a pig ball arresting grid dis- -po'sed in the path of a pig ball passing from-said'inlet to the outlet means; said body having an opening through 60 which a pig ball may' be removed from said chamber;

La pig ball receiver housing removably carried by said body in'cominunication with'said 'chamberthrough said *opening; and combined valve and pig ball engaging means carried'by said body inline with said opening for forcing j said pig ball itno said receiver. housing and for preventing Jthe, flow of fluid from said. housing through said opening.

'Re'lerencesCited ml the file'of this patent UNITED. STATES PA'rEnrs 

